According to the annual study by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, the institution's scientific service, in 2019 there was a “sharp decrease in coal consumption” at EU level, which “contributed to a reduction of 4.2 percent in emissions of fossil CO2 fuels ”, with Portugal registering a drop of 6.8 percent compared to 2018.

More significant decreases were found in Estonia (21.4 percent), Finland (8.9 percent), Denmark (8.4 percent) and Germany (6.5 percent), the European Commission said in the report, explaining that, "in most of these countries, the reductions were also a consequence of the shift from coal and liquid fossil fuels to energy sources with less carbon intensity".

In all, according to the document, CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and derived processes fell 3.8 percent in 2019, compared to the previous year.

"This means that EU and UK fossil CO2 emissions were 25 percent lower than 1990 levels, [this being] the biggest reduction among the main emitting economic areas in the world", observes the organisation.

The Community executive adds that, in recent years, "there has also been a downward trend in CO2 emissions per capita and by production intensity across Europe".